Plateau Spa’s Rose Indulgence package – spa day at Grand Hyatt Hong Kong

I’m no fan of Valentine’s Day – an arbitrary date that is most definitely the least special of all special occasions. But Valentine’s Day spa deals? Sign me up with a trite poem, ugly teddy and bunch of wilting roses… I’m in!

And before you start complaining that your partner hates all things pampering –so does mine. In fact, so do lots of people’s partners, meaning there are plenty of us spa spinsters ready and waiting to be paired up precisely for the purpose of taking advantage of couple’s pampering packages. Which is exactly how my blogger BFF Kate and I came to be at the Rose Indulgence treatment at Grand Hyatt Hong Kong’s Plateau Spa.

For those that can’t be bothered to read much further, here’s what the Rose Indulgence package includes, for a rather reasonable $2200 for two people:

• A 60-minute massage each at Plateau Spa
• Afternoon tea for two at Tiffin Lounge, including their infamous all-you-can-eat ice cream buffet
• Access to the hotel’s outdoor pool, heat facilities and fitness studio

Quick maths for you: hour-long massages normally clock in at around $1k apiece, a day pass for the facilities is $550 per person, and afternoon tea for two is $596. See what I mean about Valentine’s Day deals worth taking advantage of?

The Spa
The Plateau Spa is, without a doubt, one of the most luxurious hotel spas in Hong Kong; in fact, it’s so flipping huge that it even has guestrooms inside. Its décor is perfectly pleasant, if a little bland, with lots of ash blonde wood and minimalist zen vibes – thanks largely to the lovely tree-lined courtyard outside, which effectively cocoons the area even further from the dreaded real world.

After a cup of rose petal tea in reception, Kate and I were ushered to what might just be the largest spa suite I’ve ever been treated to – easily bigger than both of our apartments, perhaps even bigger than both of them combined! Somehow we’d bagged the Deluxe Treatment Suite, which features a massive lounge complete with sofa, flat-sized dressing table and television, plus a twin treatment room boasting its own steam room, rain shower and whirlpool bath. Incidentally, Plateau Spa chenille spa robes are equally incredible – super-soft, super-fluffy and presumably made from unicorn tears spun by virgins.

The Rose Indulgence treatment consists of a 60-minute massage using rose essential oil; as mentioned previously in my review of MiraSpa’s Rose Aromatic Facial, rose and me aren’t really the best of pals… but the scent here was nicely fragrant and not overpoweringly cloying in the slightest.

I think the best thing I can say about this massage is that I really don’t have much to say about it at all – it was absolute bliss from start to finish, including my beloved head massage. The right temperature, the right pressure, the right everything; like Chandler’s gum, it was perfection!

The Pool
After a small bowl of fresh fruit and more rose petal tea post-treatment, Kate and I left our suite to check out the spa’s facilities. Having ruled out the fitness studio (too lazy) and steam room (too hot), it was onto the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong’s stunning 50-metre outdoor swimming pool.

With trickling waterfalls, enticing lounge beds and lush tropical landscaping – all smack-bang in the middle of Hong Kong’s amazing cityscape – it’s definitely one of the city’s finest pools, and thankfully given the nippy spring temperatures, it’s heated too. Plus, we were given another of those plucked-from-heaven fluffy cloud robes to waddle about in too. Huzzah.

Arriving mid-afternoon on a weekday meant the pool was pretty empty too, leaving Kate and I free to swim a couple of lengths to make us feel better about ourselves, before dedicating the rest of our pool-time to aimless floating, ranting about work and discovering where the heated vents were.

The Tea
After a quick shower, it was onto the final (sob) component of the Rose Indulgence package – afternoon tea at Tiffin Lounge. As far as hotel lounges go, Tiffin is particularly sprawling and although the décor is due a refresh (which it’s due to get this year), it’s exactly the kind of place you can while away many hours in relaxed peace and comfort… and the unlimited ice cream buffet definitely helps with that too!

Highlights of the tea set were the savouries, with an extremely moreish mini chicken pie and hummus tart being the standouts – although given you need to factor in all the sweet stuff from the buffet, a few more savoury items would be welcome! The scones were also good; warm, buttery and happily served with lashings of clotted cream – and we all know that one dish of clotted cream is never enough!

Meanwhile, the buffet is like something out of a child’s wildest Willy Wonka-esque fantasy, featuring dozens of flavours of ice cream, sorbet and ice cream cakes (all made in-house by Grand Hyatt), plus the option of freshly made waffles with a dizzying array of toppings. This is the dictionary definition of everything with sprinkles on top… unlimited amounts of rainbow sprinkles, to be exact. A special mention must go to the chocolate truffles, which were utterly dreamy, decadent and delicious – far better than the ones available at many speciality chocolatiers in the city. Good luck exercising your self-control folks… you’re going to need it!

When we finally ran out of space for more truffles, it was time to bid Grand Hyatt Hong Kong adieu for the day…. but oh, what a beatific, blissed out, beauty of a day it had been. Whilst the Rose Indulgence deal runs until 31 March 2017, I’d highly recommend checking out Plateau Spa’s offerings throughout the year, as they come up with lots of new and equally reasonable deals each season. But for now, grab a pampering partner-in-crime and make the most of this Valentine’s tie-in – a day of sweets-and-spa indulgence that finally makes February 14 a date worth celebrating!

The Rose Indulgence package costs $2200 for two people and includes a 60-minute massage and afternoon tea for two, plus access to the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong’s pool, heat and fitness facilities; it is available Monday-Thursday until 31 March 2017

Plateau Spa, 11/F Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, 1 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong; +852 2584 7688

www.hongkong.grand.hyatt.com/en/hotel/spa.html

Note: this experience was by invitation